We Are What We Quote – NYTimes.com

A good quotation can serve as a model for one’s own work. I love quotations! I even have a list that I add new quotations to when I find them. Often they serve as inspiration or a spring board for my work as I attempt to communicate what I believe. Or it may be a reminder as I work with a staff of 80+ educators. I like this one: If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.
-Winnie the Pooh.

It makes me smile first instead of getting frustrated. Or I think of this one: “Every time we teach a child something, we keep him from inventing it himself. On the other hand, that which we allow him to discover for himself will remain with him visible for the rest of his life.”( Piaget) as I work with teachers and parents to build an understanding of a constructivist curriculum. It doesn’t explain all of the approach but it gives me a spring board for a conversation. I especially like this one: Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.
-Henry Van Dyke. It reminds me to use what I have- give it a go! I may not be the best song bird but I can sing my own song!

Do you use quotations? How and why? Read the following article for an interesting take on quotations~

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One Response to “We Are What We Quote – NYTimes.com”

I love quotations too! Sometimes they can be totally cliche, but at other times I feel that they really help us discover things about the world and about other people and about ourselves.

One of my favorite quotes is from Ludovico Einaudi, a composer: “In general I don’t like definitions, but ‘Minimalist’ is a term that means elegance and openness, so I would prefer to be called a Minimalist than something else.” He’s talking about his music here, of course, but I think it can also be applied to all sorts of things, especially life.